Page 81 of Unhinged Love

“It’s me.” I knock on the door once I reach the room, listening for anything coming from the other side. “Let me in. We’ll figure this out together.”

When the lock clicks and the door starts to open, a wave of relief like nothing I’ve ever felt washes over me and almost takes my knees out. She’s tear-stained, red-faced, but she’s here in front of me. Close enough to touch.

So I do. She’s in my arms before the door is closed behind me. With my hand on the back of her head, I press my lips against her temple. “I am so sorry. For everything.”

“What are we going to do?” She shudders in a silent sob that comes close to crushing my heart.

“For one thing, I’m staying here with you while we work this out.” Kissing her head again, I pull back a little, brushing hair away from her forehead and tucking it behind her ears. She looks so broken. I would do anything to change that. “You don’t ever have to be alone again. Believe me. I am with you always now.”

“How can you say that?” A tear rolls down her cheek, and I catch it with my thumb before she closes her eyes. “Your dad is so mad. I’m surprised he even let you out of the house.”

“I’ll handle him. Don’t worry about that. He’s the one who wanted me to come over here to make sure you’re all right.” With a sigh, I add, “I can’t believe she left you here.”

“You can’t? I can,” she mutters.

“That’s fine. I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.” I can’t help but kiss her, like that will prove I mean every word. Her lips are salty, thanks to the tears that have coated her face—the bed is a little messed up, pillows dented, like she was lying there in tears before I showed up.

Every kiss leads to one more, then another, until I’ve backed her further into the room, and we’re sitting together on the bed. It’s so much simpler when it’s just this, just us. Nobody else getting in the way, telling us what we can and can’t do.

“I am so sorry for everything I’ve done.” As much as I don’t want to stop kissing her, she needs to hear this, but my hands never stop roaming her arms, shoulders, face. I need the connection. “There are no excuses for what I did. I’m so sorry for being who I was, but you’ve changed me. I know it sounds stupid and simple, and maybe you don’t believe it’s that easy for someone to change, but I’m telling you the only truth I know. You have changed me, and I never want to be the person I was ever again.”

Her bloodshot, shining eyes search my face. “I know you’re different now. You’ve shown me that.”

“And I’m going to keep changing for the better. That’s all I want, because that’s the only way I will deserve you.”

Her throat works as she swallows hard. “What are you saying?” she whispers—the sound is so faint, I can barely hear it.

It pours out of me all at once, like a flood of words. “I’m saying I love you. I didn’t know it for sure until back there at the house. I love you. I want to protect you. I want to guard you from anything that might hurt. I want to shield you from everything.”

I cup her cheek, and whisper, “I want to worship you, because that’s what you deserve. Every day for the rest of your life. You will never have to wonder if you’re loved, if you’re deserving, because I am going to prove it to you starting the minute I wake up. You have my word on that. I will do anythingit takes, because you are all I want. I love you. I can’t live without you.”

“This is so much.” She closes her eyes, and two fresh tears roll down her cheeks. “You know it’s not that easy. We’re not just two regular people. We’re family now.”

“Do I look like I give a shit about that? Do you care?”

“No,” she admits, shrugging once she opens her eyes again. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

“And I couldn’t care less, so what difference does that make? Who cares what the world thinks? It’s not like we were raised together. I don’t care about any of that.”

Staring deep into her eyes, I whisper, “All I care about is you. Us. I care about what you need and how I can give it to you.”

“I…” She’s trembling, her eyes welling up again. “I… I love you, too. And I forgive you for what you did. I know it wasn’t even about me, really. And I know you want to make up for it. I know you’ve made me feel better about myself than anybody ever has—nobody else has even bothered trying—I was finally starting to feel like there was hope for me. Because of you.” The softest, most beautiful smile lights up her face, even though there are still tears trickling down her cheeks. “And I have to ask myself, how much better can I get? How much better can you make me feel?”

I will show her right now.

A wave of pure love sweeps me up, makes me take her face in my hands to kiss her softly, tenderly, but with all the fire that burns for her in my heart. There is nothing like the feeling of her melting against me, and all it takes is a moan from her throat to unlock everything I feel inside. All of the heat, all of the craving, all the hunger.

Slowly, I run my hands over her skin, soaking in its softness, worshiping her with every touch. Pressing my lips to her jaw, her throat, letting myself sink into the pleasure of tasting her,hearing her moan, the feel of her hands running through my hair, then over my shoulders as I lay her back and stretch out on top of her.

“I do love you,” she whispers, draping a leg over my hip, pulling me closer between her legs. “Please, don’t ever hurt me.”

I have to stop kissing every inch of her long enough to lift my head and make sure we’re eye-to-eye when I reply, “Never again. You can trust me with your heart. I promise.”

Then I go back to where I left off, exploring her smooth thighs with one hand, pulling the top of her dress down with the other. She arches her back, gasping, and it’s magic. The way she gives herself over to pleasure like that. Letting herself get swept up the way I am, trusting me enough to give me her body.

We can’t pick up where we left off, because everything’s different now. Not even an hour later, we’re in a different place. I’m not going to bend her over the coffee table this time. I would rather kneel between her open thighs, slowly peel her panties down over her ankles, then feast on her like a starving beggar.

“Oh! Oh, god!” Right away, her hands find the back of my head and hold me in place so my tongue can work her swollen, wet slit. “Shit, that feels so good… don’t stop…”

---